Known tape printing apparatus of the type with which the present invention is generally concerned are disclosed in EP-A-322918 and EP-A-322919 (Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha) and EP-A-267890 (Varitronics). These tape printing apparatus each include a cassette receiving bay for receiving a cassette or tape holding case. In EP-A-267890, the tape holding case houses an ink ribbon and a substrate tape, the latter comprising an upper image receiving layer secured to a backing layer by an adhesive. In EP-A-322918 and EP-A-322919, the tape holding case houses an ink ribbon, a transparent image receiving tape and a double-sided adhesive tape which is secured at one of its adhesive coated sides to the image receiving tape after printing and which has a backing layer peelable from its other adhesive coated side. With both these apparatus, the image transfer medium (ink ribbon) and the image receiving tape (substrate) are in the same cassette.
The present applicants have developed a different type of tape printing apparatus which is described for example in EP-A-578372, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. In this printing apparatus, the substrate tape is similar to that described in EP-A-267890 but is housed in its own tape holding case while the ink ribbon is similarly housed in its own tape holding case.
The known tape printing apparatus have input means, for example a keyboard, to allow the user to input an image to be printed. A display is generally also provided to display the input image or messages to the user. A cutting arrangement is provided to separate the image receiving tape on which an image has been printed from the supply of image receiving tape to thereby define a label.
In these known tape printing apparatus, the image receiving tape passes in overlap with the ink ribbon through a print zone consisting of a fixed print head and a platen against which the print head can be pressed to cause an image to transfer from the ink ribbon to the image receiving tape. This is usually done by thermal printing where the print head is heated and the heat causes ink from the ink ribbon to be transferred to the image receiving tape. This type of printing is known as thermal transfer printing. Alternatively, the print head may be in direct contact with a thermally sensitive image receiving tape whereby when the print head is heated, an image is printed directly on the image receiving tape. This type of printing is known as direct thermal printing.
In order to allow the one or more cassettes to be inserted, the print head is generally arranged to move between a first non-printing position and a second printing position. When the print head is in the printing position, the image receiving tape and the ink ribbon, if present, are arranged between the print head and a platen with which the print head cooperates. In one known tape printing apparatus, the print head is arranged to be in the first position when a lid of a bay for receiving the cassette or cassettes is open and to be in the second position when the lid of the bay for receiving the cassette or cassettes is closed. (See for example EP-A-487313 in the name of present applicants).
It is has been proposed in EP-A-470648 to provide a lever which moves the print head between the first and second positions. In the tape printer disclosed there, the tape driving mechanism comprises a roller fixed to the frame of the machine, and the cassette is provided with a second roller. The tape is driven between these rollers. The printhead is interacting with a platen, both of which being fixed to the frame of the machine.
In EP-A-327076 (Kroy) a cartridge is provided with a platen. The cartridge is placed in a tray and when a lid of the cartridge receiving bay is closed, the cartridge is moved into a position in which respective elements of the cartridge engage the print head. The print head in this arrangement is stationary.